Across the whole, including the Slavic world, we can find the magical beings in the form of a snake and a deer. These two beings possess not only immense magical power but also the gift of great wisdom and omniscience. Perhaps this is why both the snake and the deer are often depicted near the mythical tree of life or by a well of wisdom located nearby.
The Slavic god of mountains, forests, and the ruler of the hunt, Svetogor, is often depicted with antlers on his head, similar to the Celtic god of nature, Cernunnos, who, surrounded by animals, holds a necklace in one hand and a horned snake in the other. This depiction of the deer and the snake reveals a very ancient archetypal motif of a deity with antlers or horns, as well as the archetype of the snake itself. We can confidently say that THE SNAKE WITH THE GOLDEN CROWN on its head and the GOLDEN-ANTLERED DEER both symbolize the rulers of mountains and forests, and they can even be considered embodiments of Svetogor himself.
However, the snake and the deer do have one fundamental difference. The golden-antlered deer is considered a magical being of the earth, also associated with solar and fiery symbolism.His antlers can be likened to the radiant rays of the sun or fire. Often, the magical deer is depicted carrying the sun, a star, or another magical symbol between its antlers.
In contrast, the snake, besides being connected to the earth, is also symbolically tied to water, its power, and its mysteries. A drawn wave can equally well represent, hills, or a snake.
This difference between the snake and the deer symbolizes the conflict between fire and water, or light and darkness. We can perceive their common attributes as an opposite, but also as a connection, creating the sacred balance of the world or the entire Universe.
Both of these magical beings represent the cycle of life and death. This cycle of rebirth is symbolized in the snake by the shedding of its skin, and in the deer by its antlers, which are shed at the end of winter and renewed each spring.
Another common feature of these magical animals is that they speak human language and are often guides on magical journeys to other worlds, especially the world of ancestors. Sometimes they even personify ancestors or bring messages or advice from them. They are also often messengers of the gods themselves.
The instinctive human fear of the snake is deeply rooted and is the reason for its deification, making him one of the most powerful archetypal symbols, as a symbol of rebirth and healing, but also as a dark symbol of evil, and just as often as a positive symbol of luck and life force.
A magical being in the form of a deer or doe is known in connection with many deities of the hunt as well as fertility. The deer generally had a protective significance, and deer skulls or antlers were part of ritual masks, totems, or amulets. Deer skins were used in magical rituals to gain speed when traveling in other worlds. The deer, as a cult and sacrificial animal, was one of the most significant possible offerings. Perhaps this is why, to this day, deer-shaped bread is baked in the Czech Republic and Poland, which could and can substitute for the live deer in rituals.
The symbolism of the magical flying deer, or reindeer, has been preserved to this day in connection with Santa Claus.
Similar to Lesovik and Mamuna, Svetogor also transfers his rule over mountains, forests, and meadows to these magical beings, even sometimes reincarnating into them.
